Glenn Fernandez

Youth Council participation in disaster risk reduction in Infanta and Makati, Philippines: A policy review

Participatory disaster risk reduction (DRR) has been promoted to integrate the views of multiple actors and stakeholders and involve people in the decisions that affect their lives. Since 1974, a number of national policies in the Philippines have been encouraging the involvement of the Filipino youth in DRR initiatives in their communities. This study reviews the implementation of these policies through the Sangguniang Kabataan (youth councils) in Infanta Municipality and Makati City on the island of Luzon. It attempts to show the discrepancies between ideal scenarios reflected in the policies and actual youth council participation in DRR in practice by examining the availability of funds for youth councils to conduct DRR activities; the knowledge of youth council officials on the 2010 DRR law (Republic Act 10121); and the role of youth council officials in the Barangay (village level) DRR Committees. Several recommendations on how to enhance youth council participation in DRR are presented. Lessons from the Philippine policy experience can be useful for other countries in raising the involvement of their youth in DRR.

Youth participation in disaster risk reduction through science clubs in the Philippines

With the UN-led celebration of the International Year of Youth from August 2010 to August 2011 there has been a renewed interest in young people and the vital role they can play in important issues, such as disaster risk reduction (DRR). This study aims to examine the potential of science clubs as a vehicle for youth participation in DRR in the Philippines. A questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain quantitative and qualitative data. A total of 658 science club members from different provinces of the Philippines participated in the survey. The result of the survey is used to explain how the major barriers to youth participation in DRR can be overcome. Through science clubs, the youth can become a link between their school, home and community and can contribute to spreading knowledge about disaster prevention, preparedness and response learned inside and outside the classroom.

Chapter 11 Community-Based Disaster Risk Management Experience of the Philippines

Community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) initiatives have strong roots in Philippine society not only because of the countrys contributory vulnerability to disasters but also because of a culture of community cooperation known as bayanihan and a history of social movement driven by the citizens’ discontent with bad governance leading to social injustice and environmental degradation (Heijmans, 2009). CBDRM in the Philippines has been a mechanism for change within civil society (Allen, 2006; Heijmans, 2009). In this way, community-based approaches are a fundamental form of empowerment of participants and a compelling strategy for enforcing the transmission of ideas and claims from the bottom up (Allen, 2006).

Climate and disaster resilience mapping in city clusters

In recent years, several studies have focused on city clusters like megacities and mega urban areas, as they concentrate a significant part of the worlds human population and critical economic assets in potentially hazardous locations (Yusuf, 2007; WWF, 2009; Kraas, 2007; Jones, 2009). Metro Manila is one of such megacities, where even “regular” disasters affect a large number of people. The rapid pace of urbanization, coupled with an ever-increasing population burden, has significantly increased the overall vulnerability of urban agglomerations to natural disasters. By 2050, world population is expected to reach 9 billion people. Large numbers of people will be concentrated in megacities and on fragile lands, making the reduction of vulnerability to disasters in metropolitan areas a critical challenge facing development. Unmanaged rapid urban growth strains the capacity of national and local governments to provide even the most basic of services such as health, food, shelter, employment, and education. The challenge then is for the national government and most especially the local governments to develop effective policies, programs, and strategies that will help them manage urbanization to ensure development.

From resilience mapping to action planning

Climate and disaster resilience mapping has been discussed in detail in Chapter 3. The Climate Disaster Resilience Index (CDRI) as a comprehensive and well-structured methodology for measuring the resilience of cities is presented, as well as the differences between CDRI and various assessment tools. The resilience of cities, or their agglomerations or subzones, is being measured because cities are seen to be at a suitable level to efficiently initiate action, especially in developing countries where unplanned or haphazard urbanization is a major risk factor. But for climate and disaster resilience mapping to be of value, it should be followed by action planning. Having a vision for the future and charting a course to achieve it is what action planning is about. Studies have consistently shown that vision, planning, and goal setting can positively influence cities’ organizational performance. Action planning can compel future thinking, highlight new opportunities and threats, and refocus a citys mission. Productive action planning focuses on the most critical problems, choices, and opportunities. Action planning requires time and a process. If used effectively, it is a powerful tool for self-management and goal-based achievement. Action planning typically includes deciding who is going to do what and by when and in what order for the city to reach its long-term goals. The design and implementation of the action planning depend on the nature and needs of the city.

Climate Change Education: Recent Trends and Future Prospects

Education is a critical element in our response to climate change. Climate change education (CCE) can help us plan and implement adaptations with respect to current and future impacts of climate change. In this chapter, we will review the status of CCE in the Philippines and Vietnam, two of the countries that are most at risk to climate threats. In order to address the complex climate change problem, CCE curricula should be informed by dialogue between the academe and those most likely to be affected by the impacts of climate change, in a transdisciplinary approach. Out-of-school settings for CCE should be explored and utilized. By providing several avenues for CCE, we might be able to engage learners in discussing the causes and urgent implications of climate change and what needs to be done and achieved. Learners need to develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to make informed decisions and to act upon these decisions. In addition, CCE developed within the overall context of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and closely aligned with disaster risk reduction (DRR) education can contribute to safeguarding development gains and building resilience in countries vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change.

Education, Training, and Capacity Building for Sustainable Development

The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) ended in 2014. This chapter reviews the activities of the DESD in the area of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) education. Examples of education, training, and capacity building initiatives in formal and non-formal DRR education are presented. The role of higher education institution (HEI) consortia and other international networks in advancing DRR education is highlighted. The remaining challenges of utilizing DRR education as a tool to build a culture of disaster resilience will also be discussed to explore how DRR education can be enhanced and promoted more widely post-2014.

Lessons from the Recovery of the Education Sector After the Indian Ocean Tsunami

In the aftermath of a disaster, the repair and reconstruction of schools can symbolize community survival. The resumption of classes can be one of the most effective ways to demonstrate a return to normalcy to the local population. Schools become the glue that holds a fractured community together. This chapter reviews the recovery of the education sector after the Indian Ocean Tsunami, emphasizing the similarities and differences in the recovery experience across India, Indonesia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Good practices as well as unsuccessful attempts in several issues, such as education sector recovery coordination, resumption of classes, reconstruction and relocation of schools, school-community partnerships, integration of disaster risk reduction education into the school curriculum, and reaching out to the most disadvantaged children, are highlighted to provide valuable lessons for education sector recovery in future disasters.

Urban Disasters and Risk Communication Through Youth Organizations in the Philippines

It has been shown that traditional mass media (i.e., television, radio, print, recordings, cinema) cannot meet all of the information sharing and communication needs before, during, and after disasters occur. The Internet and mobile communication technologies open many new opportunities for disaster risk reduction (DRR) coordination among individual persons, communities, government agencies, and other stakeholders. In recent years, the use of social media in DRR settings has spread around the world. Twitter, Facebook, and crowdsourcing tools such as Ushahidi and Open Street Map are increasingly being used to collect and disseminate information on the needs of local communities, enhancing the participation of citizens, especially of technology-savvy young people. In this chapter, we present examples of the use of traditional and modern mass media in risk communication by youth organizations (i.e., community-based youth councils, school-based clubs, youth NGOs, etc.) in urban areas in the Philippines.

Usefulness of a Sustainability Literacy Test

This chapter will trace the history, development, and purpose of the Sustainability Literacy Test (SLT) being promoted by several universities worldwide to ensure that they are producing sustainability literate graduates. A comparison between SLT and similar pioneering tests will be made to offer insights on lessons learned from past experiences and provide suggestions for improving SLT. In addition, this chapter will present initial feedback from Kyoto University students, who were among the first batch of students in Asia to take the global pilot version of the test in 2014, on how they found SLT and what recommendations they could share to make SLT more useful from the perspective of test-takers.